A Political Litmus Test--Laughter

One of the greatest joys in my life is sitting around with my grandchildren and laughing.  Whenever we are together, we laugh a lot.  It makes me feel good.  Laughter has always been a big part of my life . . . I like to laugh.  As a pastor I told every congregation I served, that it wasn’t worship unless we laughed at least once in every gathering.  Laughter is holy.  Laughter is important.  Consider these quotes:

 

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin

 

“It is cheerful to God when you rejoice or laugh from the bottom of your heart.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

 

“There is little success where there is little laughter.” – Andrew Carnegie

 

“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” – Victor Borge

 

“If you wish to glimpse inside a human soul and get to know someone, don’t bother analyzing his ways of being silent, of talking, of weeping, of seeing how much he is moved by noble ideas; you will get better results if you just watch him laugh. If he laughs well, he’s a good person.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky

 

“The person who can bring the spirit of laughter into a room is indeed blessed.” – Bennett Cerf

 

“People who stop laughing are always the ones who get hurt.” – Josh Sundquist

 

“Laughter is carbonated holiness.” – Anne Lammott

 

“Carbonated holiness . . .” says Anne Lammott.  Who doesn’t want a little carbonated holiness in their life?  I know that I do and so do many others.  That is why I am confused at what I am seeing and hearing in the presidential campaign.  According to one party, laughter is a sign of mental illness or insanity.  The other party is proclaiming that it is a sign of a healthy and whole individual.  Whatever, laughter has become a hot topic in politics since there are no serious issues that the candidates should be focusing on . . . inflation, immigration, climate change, abortion, education, taxation.  No . . . the “hot” issue right now is “laughter”.  It seems that the Republicans find it strange, crazy, insulting, and weird that the Democrat candidate, Kamala Harris likes to laugh.  The Democrats are quick to point out that their candidate never laughs . . . even though he believes himself to be a “funny guy . . . the funniest . . . the best” . . . he doesn’t laugh.

 

Of course, all this posturing about laughter makes me laugh.  My gut reaction is to proclaim, “Come on, guys!  Laughter!  Really?”  When did laughter become political?

 

As I stated, I enjoy laughter.  It is a step into holiness and wholeness.  For me, it can be sacred.  It is just plain old fun.  Nothing beats a good belly laugh.  Shirley MacClain stated: “A person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused.”  If you know me, you know that there is a lot to laugh about.  It is probably why the grandchildren and I laugh so much . . . Papa is a character!  Besides, I agree with Victor Borge when he says, “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.”  And, whatever you want to call your “higher power” calls us to connect, to love, and care for one another.  Laughter marks such holiness.

 

I guess if “laughter” is going political, then I vote in favor of laughter.  I like a person, political or not, who laughs.  Kamala Harris laughs.  She has been known to laugh at herself in the midst of a speech.  She will laugh during press conferences.  She laughs in interviews.  The woman loves to laugh and apparently, she sees much in life that is humorous.  And she comes by it naturally.  The women she grew up around—especially her mother—would sit around the kitchen, drinking coffee, telling big stories with big laughs.  They loved to laugh.  Laughter is a part of who she is.  I like that.

 

Kamala might be onto something.  Laughter is good for us.  It is the best medicine, and it doesn’t cost us anything.  The benefits of laughter:

       ·        It relaxes the whole body.

·        It boosts the immune system—it decreases stress hormones and increases immune and infection-fighting antibodies.

·        It triggers the release of endorphins—the body’s natural feel-good chemicals.

·        Protects the heart—increases the function of the heart, protects against heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.

·        Laughter burns calories—10 to 15 minutes of laughing a day can burn approximately 40 calories—enough to lose three or four pound a year.

·        It lightens your anger’s load—diffuses anger and conflict.

·        It might even help you live longer—studies have shown that those who laugh live longer than those who don’t.

·        It keeps you more mentally healthy.

Norman Cousins said that was what got him through cancer . . . what kept him going: “Hearty laughter is a good way to jog internally without having to go outdoors.”  I think that is the kind of exercise we can all appreciate.  Apparently, the way Kalama likes to laugh, she is going to live a long, healthy life.

It is said that people who laugh are: optimistic and positive outlook on life; have a sense of humor that sees the lighter side of life; relaxed and easygoing—have less stress; social and outgoing; creative and imaginative; emotionally expressive—are comfortable expressing their emotions; able to see the absurd; and, have a healthy coping mechanism.  People who laugh seem to be more relaxed and accepting of life as it is . . . they are ready to be amazed . . . they are curious.  They have fewer prejudices and can laugh about themselves.  They are positive, live in the moment, and value spontaneity.  They are fun to be around.

 

I like that.

 

That is the sort of person I could see leading people . . . leading a nation.  I think one of the issues that Richard Nixon had when running for president against John F. Kennedy was his public image.  When he and Kennedy were scheduled to debate on television—which were mostly black-and-white, Nixon fretted and practically refused to debate.  He did not look like the happy-go-lucky, smiling Kennedy.  In comparison, Nixon looked like a gruff mean man.  He struggled with that his whole time in public service.  He saw that his image was a minus when it came to the public and who was more likeable . . . someone who smiled and laughed was more popular. 

 

Kamala likes to smile.  She likes to laugh.  She seems to see life as something to embrace, explore, and enjoy.  She looks like fun.  Her opponent, on the other hand, does not.  Her opponent rarely laughs, but more often than not, when he does laugh it is usually at someone or at someone else’s expense.  He comes across as always angry . . . always grumpy . . . always like he has a burr in his saddle.  He does not project a whole lot of positivity.  He comes across as a “downer” . . . sucks the life out of the party.   And I think he knows it.

 

That is why “laughter” has suddenly become a part of the campaign . . . a part of the strategy.  The grumpy one and his party have deemed laughter to be a “bad” thing.  They have proclaimed it to be a weakness . . . a sign of mental illness.  Because Kamala laughs, he has claimed that she is “crazy and nuts . . . a lunatic.”  Suddenly laughter is seen as a negative.  People who laugh cannot be taken seriously.  The arguments are silly.  It is enough to make one . . . wait a minute . . . LAUGH.

 

This is crazy stuff.

 

If the election is going to be based on “laughter” . . . damn the important stuff . . . I am going to lean towards the candidate that laughs.  Kamala is a good person . . . she laughs.  “If you wish to glimpse inside a human soul and get to know someone, don’t bother analyzing his ways of being silent, of talking, of weeping, of seeing how much he is moved by noble ideas; you will get better results if you just watch him laugh. If he laughs well, he’s a good person,” writes Fyodor Dostoyevsky.  I am leery of the candidate who can’t laugh.  Poet Robert Frost writes, “If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.”

 

All this political posturing over laughter makes me think . . . who is insane?  The one who laughs or the one who never laughs . . .

 

. . . the whole thing makes me laugh.  Besides, I side with joy every time.  It’s the holy way.

 

Get an Education

The goal was simple—weed and prepare the flower beds for the winter.  It is a task I don’t mind doing as it is a solitary, quiet activity designed for an introvert—especially on a beautiful autumn day.  It was perfect . . . until the interruption.

Pulling errant grass, stubborn weeds, and flowers beyond their prime, I was well into the realm of inner peace when I saw a white pick-up truck park down the street.  An older man got out and was having a noisy conversation with someone on his cell phone.  In his hand were a lot of papers.  He looked around, spotted me on the ground, and began making his way towards me.  It wasn’t long before I could see that he was a political canvasser.  Curses, I said . . . it is an election year!

“Good morning,” I said.

“Morning,” replied the guy.

“Can I help you?”

“I was wondering if you have a few minutes to talk,” inquired the pollster.

“Who do you represent?” I asked.

“The Republicans,” answered the man with a tinge of pride in his voice and a little too much enthusiasm.

“Well, I’m a Democrat,” I quickly responded.  The truth is that I am not a Democrat, nor am I a Republican—I’m listed as an Independent when it comes to politics . . . primarily because I don’t want to get into lengthy, nasty, name-calling, finger-pointing debates over politics.  I don’t think that it is anyone’s business what my political swing might be, and I really, really cannot stand over-zealous hardliners of any persuasion who have the audacity to shatter the serene and quiet solitude of my morning.

I figured the guy would be able to take a hint that I was not in the mood for any conversations on politics and would mosey on down the road . . . but, he was a Republican.  I should have known better.

“Well, then . . . are there problems with the United States that you would like to see fixed?” asked the man.

“Plenty,” I answered, “but there are not enough hours in the day to discuss them all. I’m really not interested.”

“Just a few minutes . . .”

“Not interested.”

Angry, he turned and started walking back to his truck, but not without getting in the last word . . . “Well, I hope you get an education!” 

My response?  “You too!”  A minute later I had a whole bunch of zingers I could have said, but “you too” was the best I had at the moment because he shocked me with his rudeness.  I should have told him that that was no way to get votes . . . shouldn’t insult the hands that have the power to vote. 

Politics suck . . . and, they suck even more when they interrupt my quiet time in the beauty of a perfect autumn day. 

I guess I should have given the guy some of the things that I would like to change in the United States.  The first thing I would have told him is that I would change the Republicans . . . and, the Democrats . . . because they have come to represent everything that is nasty and ugly in politics in the way that they handle themselves.  I would have told him that I would like to see politicians sit down and actually talk to and listen to each other and work together to solve problems.  I would have told him that I would like for our elected representatives to actual represent the people and not the corporations and industries that slip them money through the back door.  I would like to see politics become more civil and to remember back to what they learned in kindergarten about having to work together to succeed for everyone.  I would like to see politicians actual live up to the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule they so adamantly say that we are missing in our nation today.  And, I would like to see a ban on weekend politicking so that those of us who are tired of all the election year noise can have a nice and quiet weekend. 

But, I imagine that the guy would have looked at me like I had been out in the sun too long.  I imagine that he would have set me straight and given me a lesson in Political Civics 101.  Give me an education.

I am not a political person.  I am not a political person for several reasons.  The first reason is because I have chosen a call in life as a minister.  A minister is often seen as a leader within the community that he or she serves.  Leaders have the ability to sway people in the directions that they go . . . even in the area of politics.  That is not my role as a minister.  Thus I keep my politics to myself and listen to all sides of the political spectrum . . . and, trust me, there are a lot more spectrums than just the Republicans and Democrats.  It is not my job to tell people how to vote as a minister.  No, it is my job to remind people to do as Jesus would do.  Last time I looked, Jesus wasn’t a Republican or a Democrat . . . pretty much an independent who stressed doing God’s will.

Another reason I am not a political person is because it seems to do more damage to relationships than other parts of our lives.  Politics strike me as a deeply personal and intense belief in most people that are usually divided into black-and-white issues . . . right-or-wrong . . . my way or the highway.  Typically there is not a whole lot of conversation or discernment based on informed research in political conversations . . . usually calls me a name, flips me off, tells me I need to get an education, and doesn’t speak to me for weeks and months on end.  I thought we were friends.

I keep my politics to myself.  It is no one’s business how I vote . . . and, I do vote.  I vote because if I chose to moan and groan about the results of an election I can at least state that I voted . . . win or lose.  If a person chooses not to vote then I believe that person has no room to complain.  As I said, I do vote.  Over the many years that I have voted some of my candidates have won, some have lost . . . and, some of my choices have been mistakes in the end.  But, it does not matter how I voted as much as it matters that I voted.  It is a right and a privilege that I honor even if it is to decide a sewer increase in the little town where I live.  It is no one’s business but my own.

Unfortunately and sadly, this post will get a rant or a rave from someone out there who disagrees with me . . . or who see this as an attack on the Republicans or Democrats . . . or as being anti-American.  So, I apologize if I have offended someone with my own little rant; but, I really do hate when politics interrupt me on a beautiful autumn day.  Don’t promise me a conversation when you already have your mind made up.  As the picture above states: “You repeat a lie often enough it becomes politics.”  Politics suck.  There has to be a better way.  Maybe that radical . . . Jesus.  Maybe we all need an education.    

It Ain’t Your BALL!!

“. . . and that government of the people,

 by the people, for the people . . .”

(Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address)

Lucy, one of the family Dachshunds, does not understand the concept of “playing” ball.  I throw the ball . . . Lucy chases the ball, catches the ball, and then runs away from me.  She does not understand that she is supposed to bring me the ball so that I can throw it for her to chase.  No, it more along the lines of her taking the ball, claiming it as her own, and if I want to play her game . . . well, I had better get off my rear end and chase her.  I am getting too old to chase a dog around the yard.  Basically, Lucy takes the ball and goes home.

We have all encountered those kids while we were growing up who—if they did not like the way the game was going or did not like the rules of the game—would take the ball and go home.  By taking the ball and going home those kids pretty much shut down the game . . . ruined the fun for everyone else . . . and, usually got beat up.  No, I am kidding about that last part . . . my friends and I never beat anyone up for quitting and taking their ball home . . . but, the idea did cross our minds!

No one likes it when someone takes the ball and goes home, thus ending whatever game or activity is taking place.  It has now been well over a week now since our government has shut down for supposedly high-minded political reasons.  As the popular and even unpopular media has put it, it is the Republican House’s fault . . . but, the Democratic controlled Senate has done more than stand idly by—they are a part of the blame.  Whatever the cause, whoever is to blame, does not matter . . . our nation’s government has shut down leaving a whole lot of people hurting.  I imagine that all of us know someone who has been thrown into a crisis thanks to the government’s shut down.  It ain’t a pretty picture no matter who is to blame.

As I have had some time to think about the whole mess, it dawned on me earlier in the week that this whole mess has been building up for a long, long time as the two political parties have been waging a game with the lives and livelihoods of the people who call the United States of America their home.  I have heard more than a few people express a desire that our politicians grow up and quit playing games.  From my perch in Montana it looks like one side decided to quit, take the ball, and go home . . . effectively shutting down the game.  The other side has cried foul.  Neither side is willing to concede.  In the meantime, our nation and its people suffer.

It is silly.  It is silly because . . . well, it is not their ball in the first place.  The ball does not belong to the Republicans . . . nor does it belong to the Democrats . . . it doesn’t even belong to the White House.  The ball, which was being used to play the game, belongs to the people.  The ball belongs to the people . . . the very same people who are not being allowed to play the game, but get to suffer all the effects of the game whether it is being played or not.

Ol’ Abe Lincoln said it best in his address to the nation on the battlefield of Gettysburg when he said: “. . . and that government of the people,

 by the people, for the people . . .”  Whether the individual is a Republican or Democrat or Independent . . . liberal or conservative or moderate . . . that individual was elected to represent the people by the people.  Those elected to serve the people were not elected to serve themselves or special interest groups . . . they were elected to serve the people.  What the people have witnessed in the recent past does not resemble anything close to what Ol’ Abe was talking about.  Nor were those who were elected called upon to assume that the people are too stupid or ignorant to think for themselves . . . to make decisions for themselves . . . the way the government treats the people today is by pulling by the nose to places they never asked to go in the first place.  Watching our government in action lately is like watching a bunch of kids playing games . . . there is name calling, finger pointing, taunting, ridicule . . . much nastiness.  At least it was until they took the ball and went home.

This is not a political rant against any one party because it seem that everyone is to blame on this one.  I just wish that everyone would remember that it wasn’t their ball in the first place . . . it belonged to the people who elected them.  It is time for those who have been elected to grow up, serve the people who elected them, and get back to work.  People are hurting and we are the laughing stock of the world.  What we have now is not a government for the people . . . it is just a bunch of spoiled kids who need to grow up.  It ain’t your ball!  Give it back to the people!

None of us liked it as kids, and we sure do not like it as adults.